Industries around us use different varieties of chemical substances. These substances can release gasses when they undergo different processes. Some of these gasses that come out of factories are non poisonous. But, certain gasses can cause extreme harm to the nearby population.
Whenever a gas leak occurs, the responsible authorities come into action. They take all the required measures to curb the leak. They also make sure that no life gets affected because of the leaked gas. Now, we will find out what does carbon monoxide smell like. This understanding will help you to handle situations of gas leakage effectively.
Understand what does carbon monoxide smell like..
Carbon monoxide is a gas that gets released whenever fuels are not burned completely. It is produced by several home appliances. The appliances are created in such a way that the gas goes outside. But, if they do not function correctly, the gas gets released into the nearby surrounding. These include charcoal grills, stoves, furnaces, vehicles, etc. The industries also produce carbon monoxide gas sometimes.
When the gas is produced in low amounts, it will not harm the living beings. But, severe leakages can put everyone in dangerous situations. Every year hundreds of lives get destroyed because of carbon monoxide poisoning. Several people also became ill by inhaling this gas in large concentrations.
Carbon monoxide gas doesn’t have any characteristic odor. So, the people will not be able to understand the presence of this gas by smelling it. This gas is also devoid of any taste. This means you will not feel any unusual taste on your tongue if this gas has leaked. So, there are no ways to sense the presence of carbon monoxide gas during leakage events.
The solution to this issue is getting a good carbon monoxide detector. This detector must be working properly and you have to install it at your place. The high quality detectors have the capacity to detect the presence of carbon monoxide immediately. It will alert everyone before the gas concentration increases and becomes harmful. So, they will get enough time to seek help.
Do carbon monoxide & rotten eggs have the same smell?
Many people think that the smell of carbon monoxide gas is like that of rotten eggs. But, it is incorrect as carbon monoxide has no odor. Sometimes, we might get the smell of bad, rotten eggs from pilot light. This is because of mercaptan presence. It is often added into different natural gas. The characteristic smell of mercaptan will help in detecting the leakage of these gasses.
Carbon monoxide alarm varieties
The question of what does carbon monoxide smell like has been answered in the previous sections. So, it is impossible to know about the presence of this gas if you don’t have a carbon monoxide detector. The carbon monoxide detectors can be of different categories. These are:
1. Electrochemical sensors
The electrochemical sensors are made up of electrodes. These electrodes lie inside a chemical solution. Their function is to detect any differences in the electrical current. Such electrical current differences occur when the levels of carbon monoxide become high. You will be able to see this variety of carbon monoxide detectors in the US. They can function correctly for a 5-10 years time period.
2. Biomimetic sensors
The biomimetic carbon monoxide gas detectors use a gel to sense the presence of carbon monoxide gas. This gel can undergo a color change when it takes in too much concentration of carbon monoxide gas. The change in the color of the gel will activate the biometric alarm instantly.
3. Metal oxide semiconductor CO gas sensors
These carbon monoxide gas detectors are made up of metal oxide semiconductors. The circuit of this gas detector has the ability to detect the presence of carbon monoxide gas in the surroundings.
Best place to keep the carbon monoxide detector
Now that we discussed what does carbon monoxide smell like, let’s find out the best place where you can put the carbon monoxide detectors. You will not be able to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning by just installing the detectors. Placing them in the correct place is also crucial.
- The weight of carbon monoxide gas is less than the weight of air. So, when you put the alarm on the wall, you must keep it at a distance of 5 feet from the ground. The carbon monoxide detector can also be put on the ceiling of the rooms.
- You should not place the carbon monoxide detector alarm close to the stove. It should not be installed near a fireplace.
- For safety, you can keep at least one CO detector on every floor of the house. If you are not capable of getting more than one detector, then you should get a bedroom carbon monoxide detector. This will help in avoiding accidents when you are sleeping.
Some symptoms of CO poisoning
If you are exposed to the leaked carbon monoxide gas, then your body might give the following indications. The symptoms generally vary according to 2 conditions. First condition is the carbon monoxide concentration. Second one is the exposure duration.
- First signs after exposure
- Breathlessness
- Mild headache
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Weakness
- Intense headaches
- Symptoms after continued exposure
- Confusion
- Chest pains & tightness
- Upset stomach or vomiting
- Irritability
- Sudden sleepiness
- Impaired judgment
- Sustained exposure symptoms
- Intense confusion
- Disorientation
- Lack of coordination
- Brain damage
- Sudden loss of conscience
- Death
Conclusion
So, we have seen what does carbon monoxide smell like. Now, this gas doesn’t have any odor or taste. So, it is very tough to feel the presence of carbon monoxide in the air. Hence, a carbon monoxide detector is very much important. It should be kept at all places where the chances of CO leakage are high. When the gas leakage occurs, the detector will immediately sense it. So, you will notice that the alarm has gone off. This is a clear indication for you to evacuate the place immediately. If it’s your home, then you should open the windows and doors while going out. After you get out safely, you can take the assistance of emergency services.
